Smartphone, biometrics and TWINSOFT biometrics are your personal success story when it comes to multi-factor authentication
Everyone is currently talking about multifactor authentication. This is an unpleasant word, therefore short "MFA". What exactly is this and why do we need to know about it now? In simplified terms:
A lock can be cracked. No matter if this lock exists physically and must be unlocked with a key, or whether it is a digital one that can be opened with a password, for example. Someone has stolen your key and is coming into your house. Someone gets to know what your first pet was called and he is already in your laptop or in your IT infrastructure.
Why you definitely need MFA
Cyberattacks are increasingly targeting login data. Access data is the biggest vulnerability when it comes to securing the IT infrastructure of companies – and by far. Therefore, the security level should be as high as possible – but also not an obstacle for the authorized user in everyday life. This is where MFA comes into play.
Authentication is everywhere in your everyday life
If someone from our examples not only steals your key, but also needs to know the name of your first pet in order to access your laptop, for example, the hurdle is already much higher. And this increase in the security level is what multifactor authentication is about in principle. And you have to authenticate yourself constantly in your everyday life. Want to unlock your smartphone? Sign up at your workplace or carry out payment transactions? Everything is not possible without at least one "key factor".
Another everyday example: If you want to withdraw cash from your bank and the bank would suddenly no longer ask for your PIN, but immediately give out the money when entering the card, would you be worried? Certainly. Therefore, the factor "have" (the ownership of the card) is combined with the factor "knowledge" (you know your personal PIN). This makes it much harder for potential thieves. In times of strict data protection guidelines and increased IT security standards, multi-factor authentication is already mandatory in many areas or will soon become so.
Biometrics – your identity is key
In addition to "have" and "knowledge", there are other factors that can be used for multi-factor authentication. One of the safest and – with the right solution at the same time also the most convenient – is "being". Someone can bring to themselves what is yours. Someone may also be able to find out what you know. But no one can "be" you.
The smartphone – your solution in your pocket
How do you best prove your identity? On individual characteristics that only you really have. In short: about biometrics. Such features can be, for example: hand vein, iris, fingerprint, face or voice. What was sold in films a few years ago as high-tech "James Bond technology", in which the agents had to hold their face in a scanner in front of high-security doors, has long since become reality. Even common smartphones are equipped with a biometric sensor – the fingerprint scanner or even a face recognition. So you already have your sensor in your pocket.
It is not much more user-friendly for you. In this case, you do not have to purchase an additional smart card, key, token or other for yourself and/or your employees. You can even combine three factors with the smartphone: The smartphone ("Have"), a one-time password that you have sent to it ("Knowledge") and the confirmation of your identity using, for example, your fingerprint ("Being"). Everything on one device, everything within a few seconds and everything is maximally safe.
With the Authenticator-KIT, MFA becomes easy for you
With the Authenticator-KIT from the BioShare product family of TWINSOFT biometrics, this is now also possible for you. Individually tailored to your personal needs. Best of all, you can easily extend your existing solutions into a multi-factor solution with Authenticator-KIT without having to fundamentally change your system. Arrange a free consultation with us now.
Now, of course, you do not necessarily want to constantly get out the smartphone during work in order to log in to various applications individually via this process. Even if the authentication process only takes a few seconds, it can be perceived as an interruption if it is to go fast or you are in the famous "flow".
Single-sign-on increases user-friendliness
The keyword that does not automatically have to accompany an MFA, but can certainly: Single-Sign-On (SSO). Various applications and programs, which actually act independently of each other and thus strictly speaking all require separate authentication, can be used with only one, namely your, digital identity thanks to the Authenticator KIT.
This means that you log in to your workplace once with your multifactor authentication, giving you access to all computers, services and the cloud for which you are locally authorized – as long as you are at that same workplace; and you do not have to authenticate for any of them separately. If you log out of there or have set a time-based automatic log-out, all access rights are eliminated.
NewWork-KIT offers yet another security upgrade
Because in times of "New Work", i.e. working from the home office or from all other places around the world, there is of course also the possibility that computers are temporarily unattended and visible to third parties, you can also significantly increase your security in this regard with another KIT from the BioShare product family and thus guarantee your customers that only the employees can see customer data, who really have to work with it.
In addition, even the very best MFA is not 100 percent "unhackable". Guaranteeing something like 100% protection is dubious and therefore not a promise we want to give our customers. But we can make it so difficult for attackers that an attack is not worthwhile for you, because the chances of success are vanishingly low, explains TWINSOFT CEO Gereon Tillenburg.
With the "NewWork-KIT" exactly that succeeds. At random intervals, your employees are sent a request to the workplace to confirm their identity using a biometric feature, such as a smartphone. For example, can an important phone call not be interrupted? The tool also has a solution for this. The NewWorkKIT acts on request completely cooperative and thus absolutely compliant with data protection. You can find out more about this in our video.
Individual packages possible
Whether it’s MFA, MFA with single sign-on, MFA with single sign-on and NewWorkKIT or an individually adapted package – all this is possible for you. Read more here, watch our video and contact us directly via the contact form and make a consultation appointment.
